| March 23, 2026
This Women’s History Month, we took time to appreciate and collect the wisdom of just a few of the women innovating at SōRSE, including Steph Woods, VP of Sales, Susie Bautisa, Beverage Formulator, Jamie Taylor, Emulsion Scientist, Hilary Brown, Director of R&D, Laurie Parfitt, Chief Marketing Officer, and Leslie Keddie, Controller.
Here’s what they had to say.
Why did you choose to work in cannabis and at SōRSE?
- Steph: I joined the cannabis industry more than seven years ago because I believe in the plant and the positive impact it can have for people. SōRSE stood out to me because the team is bringing true CPG rigor and scientific innovation to cannabis beverages. I believe beverages are a major pathway to normalization, and SōRSE is helping set the standard for how that category scales.
- Susie: I wanted the opportunity to grow professionally.
- Jamie: Most people with my degree go into pharma, biotech, or pre-med. But I saw potential in the space for someone who was serious and product-minded about cannabis, and I followed that path. I love problem-solving, and this industry has challenges that no one has tackled yet. And it’s kinda cool and novel to be in the first round of real professional on the scene.
- Hilary: I started in cannabis when the cannabis recreational market started in Washington. At that time, I was working in product development, using distillates to create edible products. After a few years, I came to SōRSE because it provided me a new challenge. Water soluble cannabis platforms were something new to me. Coming to SōRSE allowed me to study and analyze more data and expand my knowledge of the cannabis industry.
- Laurie: Cannabis is part of a larger movement. We are changing the world everyday. Additionally, cannabis has the best people. Cannabis is the one industry that celebrated me instead of tolerating me. As for SōRSE, it is wonderful to work with true professionals who are committed to bring cannabis beverages to market the right way.
- Leslie: I joined the cannabis industry in 2016. It was an exciting opportunity to be part of building something entirely new while helping shape how the industry operates.
What accomplishment are you proudest of?
- Steph: Playing a role in helping the cannabis industry become more data-driven as it matures.
- Susie: I’m really excited that the Society of Flavor chemists will be honoring me with my 25-year award in May—and that I started and finished an M.S. degree when I was over 40! I’m also proud to have raised two daughters that challenge me to keep learning and growing.
- Jamie: Getting my biochem degree was a big challenge that I’m really proud of. And it was the foundation of everything I’ve done since.
- Hilary: Seeing a product I worked on succeed in the market is the best part of my job.
- Laurie: I am proudest of the family that I created. Marriage and three kids are my greatest challenge, but also my greatest joy. I could not have this career without them.
- Leslie: I joined the cannabis industry in 2016. It was an exciting opportunity to be part of building something entirely new while helping shape how the industry operates.
What do you wish more people understood about your job?
- Steph: Sales isn’t just about closing deals. At its best, it’s about building trust, understanding a partner’s business, and helping them succeed long term.
- Susie: Honest feedback, whether negative or positive, is your friend! My best products are those where the customer gave both positive and negative feedback to help me create better cannabis and adaptogen products. Don’t hold back!
- Jamie: It’s really a technical challenge to make a product that’s safe and properly dosed and still tastes good.
- Hilary: The fail rate is high in research and development. But each failed product leads you closer to success.
- Laurie:I wish people understood that CMO’s are not going to turn the ship in three months. It takes 18 months to build a brand or right the ship.
- Leslie: I assisted in taking the first cannabis company public on a major U.S. stock exchange (TLRY).
What new skill have you unexpectedly learned at SōRSE?
- Steph: How much precision and science goes into building a beverage that’s consistent, scalable, and actually tastes good.
- Susie: How to write prototype product formulation with consistent dosing.
- Jamie: I really enjoyed gaining mechanical or instrumentation knowledge here. It wasn’t relevant to my past jobs, so I learned on the job by reading, testing, and fiddling with the equipment. By taking things apart and putting them back together, you can understand how all the pieces fit together, why you might use like this piece of equipment versus like that one, why you might configure it this way versus that way. This is a skill wasn’t taught in school but that I’m really, really happy to have as a chemist.
- Laurie: I learned about stability of beverages and how important that is from a consumer safety perspective.
- Leslie: That cannabis finance is significantly more complex than traditional industries. We operate within a highly regulated and constantly evolving framework, often without the same financial infrastructure other industries rely on. Navigating compliance, managing risk, and maintaining operational efficiency requires a high level of precision, creativity, and resilience.
What piece of career advice would you give to women starting in cannabis?
- Steph: Cannabis is a new industry, but great businesses aren’t. Retail, CPG, and food and beverage have spent decades refining the playbooks we can apply here.
- Susie: Find a company with knowledgeable staff you can learn from.
- Jamie: Be prepared for the constant regulatory changes, and don’t get rattled by them. Trends and regulations change constantly. So you’re gonna have to be redeveloping your products and your business strategy quite a bit to suit the changing market. Don’t be afraid of that.
- Hilary: Stay involved and aware of trends in the non-cannabis market. Cannabis is newer, but it is still a consumer good, and it follows mainstream trends. Flavor and ingredient trends remain consistent in both markets.
- Laurie: Create your own luck; don’t count on others to hand it to you. Cannabis is hard for everyone. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is the most rewarding. Stick with it!
- Leslie: Get comfortable with change. The industry is evolving fast, and those who adapt will lead it.
